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More from the journal

Bazaruto vs Quirimbas: which Mozambique archipelago is right for you?

Guides

Bazaruto vs Quirimbas: which Mozambique archipelago is right for you?

How to choose between Mozambique's two great archipelagos for a bush-and-beach trip. Geography, lodge feel, when to go.

Vikki Jackson

A leopard crossing a sandy track at first light, Sabi Sand

Guides

Sabi Sand or Kruger

Two reserves, one fence line, very different mornings

Vikki Jackson

Cape Town at sunset with Lion's Head silhouetted against a warm orange sky and the Atlantic below

Cape Town

What is the best month to visit Cape Town?

Cape Town rewards you differently in every season, but March to May is the window most of our clients come back to.

Vikki Jackson

Singita Lebombo Bathroom

Field Notes

What Singita Lebombo's 2026 redesign tells us

Lebombo reopened March 2026 warmer, quieter, more art-led

Sian Loehrer

A silverback mountain gorilla in dense bamboo forest, looking at the camera

Guides

Gorilla trekking, Uganda or Rwanda

Two countries, the same forest, two very different days

Vikki Jackson

Safari vehicle on open plains at golden hour, Sabi Sand Game Reserve South Africa

Guides

Do you need travel insurance for a safari

What safari travel insurance must cover, and why standard policies fall short

Sian Loehrer

Vikki Jackson and Sian Loehrer laughing over a glass of wine at the bar at Monwana Lodge

Voices

How two women from outside the travel industry built a luxury safari brand from Africa

We are the two women behind Marula Hill. One of us came from IBM, the other from MARS Southern Africa. Here is the long version of how a private safari business gets built from outside the travel industry.

Vikki Jackson

Sole-use villa safaris in Africa

Guides

Booking a whole lodge: how sole-use villa safaris work

What sole-use villa safaris mean in practice, who they suit, and what to ask

Sian Loehrer

Kigali, Rwanda - the cleanest country in Africa

Guides

Why Rwanda is the cleanest country in Africa

A plastic-bag ban from 2008. A mandatory community work morning on the last Saturday of every month. The system behind Rwanda's cleanliness, explained.

Vikki Jackson

Table Mountain

Family Safari

A family vacation in Cape Town that works for all ages

Cape Town suits kids and grown-ups equally well: beaches, penguins, aquariums, and a city that's easy to move around.

Sian Loehrer

Modern luxury safari lodge lounge looking out across the Botswana bushveld

Guides

What's actually changing in safari travel in 2026

We do not love the trend pieces either. But from where we sit, planning safaris from the Greater Kruger, the real shifts in 2026 are worth naming. Here are the four we are seeing in our own bookings, and the two we think are oversold.

Vikki Jackson

Two women meditating on their wellness safari

Wellness

How a wellness safari itinerary actually works

A wellness safari isn't just yoga with a view. Here's what a real day looks like.

Sian Loehrer

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Prefer to write to us directly? sian@marulahill.com · WhatsApp +27 82 459 0648